In 1979, The New South Wales Police Department’s air unit began operating with the Bell JetRanger. A few years later, it switched to the AS350 Ecureuil to better meet its needs.

“The size of the cabin, its brightness, its flight qualities,” Phil, unit’s chief pilot, sums up the Ecureuil’s qualities in just a few words. “And the most recent AS350 B2 Ecureuil is equipped with VEMD [Vehicle Engine Management Display], which makes a big difference for the pilot.” Today, the New South Wales Police Force has three AS350 B2 Ecureuil in its fleet, in addition to one AS355 N and one BK117. “The AS355 N, which provides additional security, is mainly used on night missions,” Phil explains. “But we use the AS350 B2 for most of our daily work because it’s very reliable. The aircraft is the perfect size for working around Sydney. With a pilot and two observers on board, we can fly for an hour and a half. When we have missions at the other end of New South Wales, we have to make a fuel stop on the way.”

Surveillance and relief operations
Police helicopter missions mainly focus on surveillance and relief operations. Occasionally, police aircraft even fly a few miles above the ocean, as the Ecureuil is equipped with a harness reel that can be used to rescue swimmers. Since it wants to keep a homogenous fleet, the New South Wales Police Force has decided against the AS350 B3 Ecureuil for the time being. In the future, it plans to purchase a helicopter with a Fenestron tail rotor to minimize the ever-increasing noise pollution caused by aviation activities.